My Heart's Desire
by Emilie Brown
Summary: It's Valentine's Day, a day for lovers and Rumpelstiltskin has the day planned for him and Belle. Will they have a most joyous romantic day and succeed with a date or will they get interrupted from their date like they always seem to do? Takes place two years after Neverland.


**Valentine writing contest example for OUAT Fan Fiction & Creations (FB) ****  
****Prompt: major pairing, red, heart, rose****  
****Pairing:**** Rumbelle****  
****Rating: K+**

**My Heart's Desire**

_by Emilie Brown_

It was a cold February morning and Belle Gold slowly woke up with a smile upon her face. Turning over in the bed, her eyes locked onto the yellow eyes of her and Rumpel's German Shepherd Rufus. Rufus was sitting in the bed looking at her with his tail wagging. In his mouth he had a scroll with her name written on it with a fancy script in red. Over Rufus's collar he had a red ribbon and a bow.

"Come here, boy." Belle said motioning for the dog to come closer. Listening to his Mistress, Rufus came closer to Belle. Belle opened her hand out to him and Rufus dropped the scroll in her waiting palm. Belle petted Rufus affectionately. "Oh, thank you, I love you. You're such a good boy. Yes you are." Rufus licked Belle's face and she giggled. Once Rufus then flopped down on the bed with a huff and laid his head atop his front paws. Belle sat up against the headboard of the bed; she untied the golden ribbon from the scroll that Rufus brought her and unrolled it; she immediately recognized her husband's handwriting.

_My dearest Belle, if you__'__re reading this than Rufus succeeded in bringing you this scroll. Today is Valentine__'__s Day. A holiday in this land for lovers, you are my wife, my one true love, so in honour of this fourteenth day of February we will be celebrating it. I have a plan for this day, hopefully all goes well. Whenever you get ready wear something red, red is a theme for this holiday. Yours truly, Rumpel_

Smiling once finished Belle slowly got out of the bed leaving the scroll on the bed as she did, she walked to the closet opening the closet door, and she grabbed her red dress with small blue flowers on it. Stripping off her night clothes, she donned the dress. It stopped above her knees. Walking to the full body mirror, she looked at herself She brought her hands up to the protruding bump and caressed her and Rumpel's unborn child, proof of their true love. Looking at her reflection in the mirror a moment longer, Belle couldn't help the smile that graced her face as she felt her child move. Turning around, Belle walked from the mirror, Rufus ever the honourable watch dog not far behind. As she walked down the stairs, the sweet aroma of maple sausage and banana pancakes assaulted her senses.

"Mmm, smells delicious Rumpel," Belle called out as she entered the kitchen. Rumpel stood at the stove flipping the pancakes.

"It better," he said taking the last pancakes from the skillet and putting it on a cherry red glass china plate, moving the skillet and metal spatula to the back burner Rumpel turned the stove off and turned to face his very pregnant wife. "You look beautiful Belle," Rumpel opened his arms to Belle and she rushed forward and entered the circle of them.

"So do you, well handsome, I mean," she pulled herself against Rumpel. "I love you, Rumpel," Belle reached her hands up and played with the end of Rumpel's hair, threading her fingers through it.

"I love you, too. I see you got Rufus's message."

"By message, you mean the letter you wrote and sent our slobbery guard dog up to deliver to me," Belle giggled against Rumpel's neck and relaxed into his comforting hold.

"Well, maybe. But come eat, it's time we celebrate Valentine's Day. With the help of Jefferson I have our 'fun' filled romantic day planned." Pulling back from his wife Rumpel turned around and grabbed a plate from the counter.

"Oh, I'm a bit nervous, you had the Mad Hatter help you fill out our romantic day," smiling Belle walked to the table and sat down in the chair, Rumpel put her plate of food in front of her and Belle smiled at what she saw. The pancakes were heart shaped as were the sausages, the sausages were smaller hearts, but hearts nonetheless. The sausage hearts were place atop the Pancake hearts and they looked just so adorable. "Aww, they're so cute. Thank you, Rumpel."

Rumpel gave her a smile -a smile that he shared with only her- before he exited the room with a quick be right back. He returned moments later with his hands behind his back and slowly entered the room. Walking over to Belle he brought his hands in front of her and did a short bow presenting three Rose's to her, each different in colour, red, pastel pink and white, very Valentine-y.

"Happy Valentine's, love." Taking the Rose's from him Belle smiled and brought them up to her nose to smell,

"Ooh, thank you, Rumpel, they're gorgeous," Belle sat the roses on the table top and stood up from her place at the table, reaching for the lapels of his suit jacket; she pulled him towards her and kissed him. "I love you so much, Rumpel."

"I love you as well," Rumpel pulled Belle closer deepening the kiss. Pulling way after just a few minutes, he leaned his head against her forehead and they just stood there basking in the after effects of their kiss and their eyes locked onto one another. Rumpel's hand reached down between them and caressed Belle's baby bump. Feeling their child move in Belle, his hands splayed protectively about it, his eyes moved down to watch the up and down movement of Belle's belly each time she breathed in and out. "Come, let us eat," Rumpel sat in Belle's chair and pulled her on his lap." Belle giggled as he proceeded to feed her the heart shaped breakfast. Once done Rumpel and Belle walked to the living room where Belle walked over to the couch and sat on it, Rumpel left the room and came with a gift wrapped in his hands.

"Ooh, another present. You and Jefferson seem to have sure been at it with all this planning my love," Reaching for the gift in her husband's hand Rumpel let her have it as he sat down on their dark brown ottoman, he wrapped his arms around Belle's waist and pulled her close to him and watched her as she started to unwrap it. Rufus came in the living room and jumped on the ottoman and just laid down watching his family. Belle was finishing with the unwrapping and opened the box that was wrapped, inside that boy was a red velvet box; Belle opened the lid and found an aquamarine necklace. It was a small simple jewel, a size no bigger than the end of a pencil eraser, the chain was silver with flowery designs on the chain, it was a very beautiful necklace and Belle just couldn't help but admire it. "Rumpel, it's gorgeous. I love it, thank you so very much." Belle turned her head and kissed her husband on the cheek. "You spoil me."

"You deserve it, turn around." Belle turned around as fast as she could in her condition, Rumpel took the necklace from her, unclasped it then moved Belle's chestnut locks away from her neck, "There." Belle laid back against Rumpel's chest and brought her feet up and laid them atop Rufus's back, rubbing them in his warm fur.

"Can I just say, being with you… I love it. You make me so happy, the happiest I've ever been, I'm so grateful to have met you, even if it was by a deal."

"You're the best deal I ever had, if the deal was never struck I would never have met you, found my one true love and be expecting a child with you. A child created from true love. You make me so happy, Belle. You make me feel like a man instead of the monster that I truly am."

"Rumpel, you're not a monster."

"I am Belle, no matter what you say I will always be a monster. A monster who loves you and one whom doesn't deserve you. If it wasn't for you Belle… I'd be lost. You are my heart's desire and every day I am grateful that you are with me and you haven't run from me when you could have run from me so many times."

"I learned a long time ago, that when you find something that's worth fighting for… You never give up. I'll never give up on you." Getting up from the ottoman Belle grabbed Rumpel's hands. "Come on Rumpel. It's time for your presents." Heaving himself from the ottoman Rumpel grasped Belle's hands as she pulled him with her. He followed her to the library in the house. "You're a hard person to shop for but never the less after some serious consideration and thought I finally figured out what to get you. It may seem a bit silly but I thought it'd go, because you know, it is Valentine's Day.

Walking to one of the bookshelves in the library Belle grabbed a black bear holding a red heart with a rose in its hand. The heart said you own my heart; you are my one true love. Belle handed Rumpel the bear.

"I know it's a bit silly but I thought it just seemed so suiting." Belle said nervously, looking at the floor and twisting her foot back and forth.

"It's perfect, sweetheart." Rumpel put his hand under Belle's chin and lifted it up and locked eyes with her. "I love it and appreciate the thought you put behind it," Rumpel brought his other hand up and traced Belle's cheek bone, he lifted her chin and lent down and pressed a short but lingering kiss to her lips.

"I got you one more gift." Turning back to the shelf Belle grabbed the wrapped gift and handed it to him. Rumpel took the gift from her and un-wrapped it; he smiled at what he saw.

"Assorted chocolate, mmm, my favorite" Rumple sat down his gifts on a nearby desk and then pulled Belle towards him; he pulled her in a time consuming kiss.

"So tell me my beast of a husband, what all do you have planned for us on this day of lovers?"

"Well, let's see, hmm. Lots of cheesy romantic stuff, a movie, a dinner at that new fancy tea restaurant Jefferson opened up and now that I have chocolate, well you can only imagine what I have planned for you, wife."

To say that Belle and Rumpel enjoyed themselves would have been an understatement. The chocolate was wonderful. Emma and Jefferson decided to pay them a visit and walked in on them doing things that Jefferson and Emma's children had no business seeing at that young of an age. Jefferson shielded the children's eyes and Emma took Rufus and left the very happily married couple be that's the last time they ever come barging into someone's house without knocking first. All in all it was a most joyous Valentine's Day for all in Storybrooke and for the Dark One and his true love it was most enjoyable.

**The End**

**Beta-ed by: FaerieTales4ever**

**A/N: If you love Once Upon a Time and have a Facebook than be sure to check out OUAT Fan Fiction & Creations; we have lots of fun games and contests going on, the more the merrier, hope to see you there. The link to the group can be found on my profile so check it out!**


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